Glen Hansard, Róisín O, and The Coronas Headline Púca Festival 2026 as Meath Prepares for Samhain Celebration
Organisers of the Púca Festival have announced the headline lineup for the 2026 edition, with Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, acclaimed singer Róisín O, and beloved Irish rock band The Coronas confirmed to perform at the Samhain-themed event in Trim and Athboy, Co. Meath from 29 October to 1 November. The festival, themed "Between Worlds," celebrates Ireland's ancient Celtic traditions around the feast of Samhain — the origin of the modern Halloween — and has established itself as one of the most distinctive and atmospheric events in the Irish cultural calendar.
Background
The Púca Festival takes its name from the púca — a shape-shifting spirit from Irish mythology, associated with the liminal period between the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter that the ancient Celts called Samhain. Samhain, celebrated on the night of 31 October and the day of 1 November, was one of the four great festivals of the Celtic year, a time when the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead was believed to be at its thinnest. It is from Samhain that the modern Halloween tradition derives, making Ireland the birthplace of one of the world's most widely celebrated festivals.
The Púca Festival was established to reclaim and celebrate that heritage — to reconnect the modern Halloween tradition with its Irish roots and to create a world-class cultural event that draws visitors to the ancient landscape of Co. Meath, home to some of the most significant prehistoric monuments in Europe. The festival takes place in Trim, the site of the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, and Athboy, a market town with deep historical associations, creating a backdrop that is both dramatically atmospheric and historically resonant.
Since its establishment, the Púca Festival has grown steadily in scale and ambition, attracting increasing numbers of visitors from across Ireland and internationally. The combination of high-quality music programming, immersive cultural experiences, and the unique atmosphere of the Meath landscape in late October has made it one of the most talked-about events in the Irish cultural calendar, and its profile has been enhanced by significant media coverage both domestically and internationally.
Key Developments
The announcement of the 2026 headline lineup has generated significant excitement among Irish music fans. Glen Hansard, the Dublin-born musician who won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly" from the film Once, is one of the most beloved figures in Irish music — a performer of extraordinary emotional depth and authenticity whose live shows are legendary for their intensity and intimacy. His appearance at Púca will be one of the most anticipated Irish music events of the autumn.
Róisín O — the stage name of Róisín Murphy, the Arklow-born singer and songwriter who has been one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed figures in European electronic music for three decades — brings a very different energy to the lineup. Her recent work has seen her return to a more explicitly Irish cultural identity, and her appearance at a festival celebrating Ireland's ancient traditions is a natural fit. The Coronas, the Dublin rock band who have built one of the most loyal fanbases in Irish music over the past 15 years, complete a headline trio that spans the full range of Irish musical identity.
The festival's theme of "Between Worlds" reflects the liminal quality of Samhain — the sense of being on the threshold between one state and another, between the old year and the new, between the world of the living and the world of the dead. The programming will extend beyond the music concerts to include immersive cultural experiences, storytelling events, fire performances, and community celebrations that draw on the ancient traditions of the season.
Why It Matters
The Púca Festival matters because it represents a genuinely distinctive contribution to Ireland's cultural landscape — an event that is rooted in Irish tradition and mythology rather than imported from elsewhere, and that uses that tradition as the basis for a world-class contemporary cultural experience. In a cultural calendar that is increasingly dominated by international touring acts and global entertainment brands, Púca offers something different: a celebration of Irish identity that is confident, creative, and deeply connected to the landscape and history of the country.
The festival also matters for the economic and cultural development of Co. Meath, a county that has significant heritage assets — Newgrange, the Hill of Tara, Trim Castle — but that has historically struggled to translate those assets into sustained tourism revenue. Púca is helping to change that, drawing visitors to Meath at a time of year when tourism is traditionally quiet and creating a reason to explore the county's extraordinary landscape and history.
Local Impact
The announcement of the 2026 lineup has been welcomed by businesses and community groups across Co. Meath, who have seen the festival grow into a significant economic driver for the county. Hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and pubs in Trim, Athboy, Navan, and the wider county are already reporting strong advance bookings for the festival weekend, and local transport providers are planning additional services to accommodate the expected influx of visitors. Meath County Council has been a strong supporter of the festival since its inception and has invested in the infrastructure needed to host a large-scale outdoor event in the county's historic towns.
What's Next
Tickets for Púca Festival 2026 go on sale in the coming days, with early bird pricing available for a limited period. The full programme — including the supporting acts, the cultural events, and the community celebrations — will be announced in stages over the coming weeks. The festival runs from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November, with the main music events taking place on Friday and Saturday evenings. Organisers have indicated that the 2026 edition will be the largest yet, with expanded capacity at both the Trim and Athboy sites to accommodate the growing demand for tickets.
